Anyone who has a Council Bluffs parking ticket that’s gone unpaid for more than two months will now be facing an arrest warrant. The new policy started this week, as Assistant City Attorney Don Bauermeister says warrants will be issued for even one unpaid overdue parking ticket.
"It is owed to the city and we do have a method to get the money collected. The warrant procedure has been in place for years," Bauermeister says. In years past, warrants weren’t issued until someone had several unpaid tickets on file, but city officials found collection rates were poor.
Bauermeister says the new policy should help clear up that backlog of tickets. He says, "It’s just been neglected or overlooked or we just haven’t been doing it, but we’re going to start." That unpaid ticket could throw up a red flag when a motorist tries to renew his or her license plates or is stopped for another traffic violation. Parking tickets must be paid within 60 days of their issuance. If a warrant is issued, it’ll be posted on the Council Bluffs Police Department website .